"Of what?" you ask. Why, of that to which I referred here, yesterday, in the comments, when John fed me the straight line, "Whatcha got with trakz?"
Now, before I get into exactly which whatcha The Armorer was prodding me about (aw, c'mon -- like I wouldn't *know*?), I'm gonna reveal just *how* modern some of the stuff we've got here is.
Heh.
Same M113 critter we used to toodle through the rice paddies during my war. Same turret mod, pretty much, and we called the results an ACAV. The anti-RPG ladders are new -- we just used to mount sections of chain-link fence on the sides, and it worked just as well. These are A3s -- diesel engines instead of gasoline.
And a lot of you guys will recognize this one (minus the turret, of course):
Hey, when something that weighs 140,000 pounds breaks, you can't just throw a hydraulic jack under it, right? M88A2 Armored Recovery Vehicles, with an uprated power plant and an auxiliary winch up front.
Speaking of seventy ton self-propelled radios...
M1A2 -- I think it's an SEP (Star Wars-Gee Whiz Digitalized), but I wasn't about to crawl around inside without some serious head-padding -- complete with the obligatory velcro® strips to hold other pieces of velcro® in place. You can tell that it's the Army version and *not* the USMC version because there's no bayonet stud on the main gun.
And just to show you that "just because you may be a redneck" is no reason *not* to own a tank:
Yeah, duct tape and MRE cardboard -- the Cav couldn't function without it.
This'n's for XBradTC (if he ever gets away from his adoring fans).
M2A3s, and naturally they pulled the chain guns before they parked them. Geez, you'd think I was carrying my Gerber wrench set for some nefarious purpose or something...
And now, the moment John has been wearing out the scroll bar for:
Sorry, John -- the M109A6 owners over here have an unconscionable habit of putting bags over the muzzles to keep camel spiders out.
You haven't lived until you've tried to sleep in one Saturday morning and discover post-facto that the battery has set up on the other side of your T-wall and the multiple-gun TOT mission they've spent a month requesting got approved at 0600...
Now, before I get into exactly which whatcha The Armorer was prodding me about (aw, c'mon -- like I wouldn't *know*?), I'm gonna reveal just *how* modern some of the stuff we've got here is.
Heh.
Same M113 critter we used to toodle through the rice paddies during my war. Same turret mod, pretty much, and we called the results an ACAV. The anti-RPG ladders are new -- we just used to mount sections of chain-link fence on the sides, and it worked just as well. These are A3s -- diesel engines instead of gasoline.
And a lot of you guys will recognize this one (minus the turret, of course):
Hey, when something that weighs 140,000 pounds breaks, you can't just throw a hydraulic jack under it, right? M88A2 Armored Recovery Vehicles, with an uprated power plant and an auxiliary winch up front.
Speaking of seventy ton self-propelled radios...
M1A2 -- I think it's an SEP (Star Wars-Gee Whiz Digitalized), but I wasn't about to crawl around inside without some serious head-padding -- complete with the obligatory velcro® strips to hold other pieces of velcro® in place. You can tell that it's the Army version and *not* the USMC version because there's no bayonet stud on the main gun.
And just to show you that "just because you may be a redneck" is no reason *not* to own a tank:
Yeah, duct tape and MRE cardboard -- the Cav couldn't function without it.
This'n's for XBradTC (if he ever gets away from his adoring fans).
M2A3s, and naturally they pulled the chain guns before they parked them. Geez, you'd think I was carrying my Gerber wrench set for some nefarious purpose or something...
And now, the moment John has been wearing out the scroll bar for:
Sorry, John -- the M109A6 owners over here have an unconscionable habit of putting bags over the muzzles to keep camel spiders out.
You haven't lived until you've tried to sleep in one Saturday morning and discover post-facto that the battery has set up on the other side of your T-wall and the multiple-gun TOT mission they've spent a month requesting got approved at 0600...
I do think that artymen might be willing to take a risk about making local loud noises along that direction, because it sure is fun to make a big kaboom.
You mention your war, just how many years ago has it been? Just how many experts have been born since that time?
For me? Got there forty years, nine months, eighteen days, three hours, fifteen minutes, and
*checks watch*
forty-two seconds ago.
Depends on where you hit it, Jtg. The frontal armor is supposedly good enough to stop a .51 cal / 14.5mm, and the sides will supposedly stop .30 cal / 7.62mm. The A3s here have additional bolt-on steel plates.
But you, followed all of the rules of an "Occifer and all around good dude."
Well, thank you kindly, Grumpy -- I also took Sarge B's advice and added the nomenclatures for 'em. Sometimes I forget Normal Folks come visit, too.
Apparently, the Soviets had complained that our FO vehicles looked too much like the other infantry M113s and we hadda take off the ACAV turrets so that we'd be easier to target. Or something. I'm sure it wasn't just bureaucratic bean-counting flying in the face of good tactical sense or anything. That never happens.
Or something.
JTG - mebbe when they get that railgun thingy worked out. Of course, the give away then will be the local brown-outs when we fire a battery 1.
Check out the site There I Fixed It and see how well the duct taped tank fits in.
I was told there were going to be bladed weapons in Part Deux. Do I get bladed weapons?? Nnnoooooo.
And while I'm at it, what has happened to Argghhh!-onauts? Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know....it's coming *sometime soon*....along with the bladed weapons.
0>;~}
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John, were you still in when they made the FIST-V even more different looking by adding the hammerhead? (Then, when Brads came along, it was different AND slower than everything else...)
Of course, the results of the one time we gave our company FO team a 'Brad' in the SIMNET would seem to make the point that 13-series should not be allowed anywhere near direct fire weapons.
My *exact* words were, "Oddly enough, it *does* include blades and bang-sticks!" Now, what is it about the sharp, protruding appurtenances on the front of the M88s that does not fit the definition of "blades"? Are you hinting that you wouldn't be able to decapitate a rattlesnake with one of them?
Uh huh, and my exact question was, "Does part duex include bladed weapons?"
Talk about bait and switch!
No, those blades would do more than decapitate. Can't collect the heads and tails to make cool stuff when they're in pieces the size of sand.
Aaannnddd......I notice you tried to slide by the Argghhh!-onauts comment.
Tried.
And failed.
*She* did it *her* own self, BCR.
DocLady Sly's a *gurl*...
('course I've been mistaken for male *in person* so I think I get extra complaining rights)
Although, for future reference, I can be bribed with chocolate, ammo &/or bladed weaponry. (No, Mr.DeBille the M88s do not count as a bladed weapon in my book.) Sorry, backrubs are the strict dominion of MH.
And Mr. DeBille is still avoiding the original subject.......
heh
0>;~}
And the interesting edged weaponry in my locker are the subject of still another post.
('course I've been mistaken for male *in person* so I think I get extra complaining rights)
Then you weren't wearing the Zombie Hello, Kitty sweater, obviously...
My ties. Some are so old they're coming back into syle. Does anyone know if paisley has come back yet?
I don't even wear them on customer visits. I'm a software salesman and they think I'm casually weird anyway.
Ah, the M-113! Will that aluminum actually stop a rifle bullet?
Reminds me of the line from Patton. "No sir, it just comes in one side and rattles around a bit".
Now there are *two* comic fangirls getting antsy...
Now you all see why I only pay him when he *produces*. He wuz robbin' me blind.
Jeebus Bill... 40 years ago..... sigh. I feel really old now.
Thing is, not a whole lot really changes, ya know?
Keep up the good work, brother.
V/R
Right. Like, you had some really pressing use for all those recycled electrons...
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NSU_Kettenkrad_36PS_1944_1.JPG